What? You didn't know they were that rich? What else didn't you know?

So, today I was reading that most Americans don’t really know how much the gap has grown between the haves and the have nots. Well, to put it this way, Americans in this recent study unknowingly picked Sweden’s distribution (where 20 % control 36 % of the wealth) over ours -- the U.S. (where 20% control 84% of the wealth).

I think the percentage of Americans who preferred Sweden’s model was 92%. That’s right. A VAST majority of Americans don’t like the current distribution and don’t even know it!

So, here’s something else that locals here (at least those who vote on WBKO’s poll page) don’t know.

While 87.73% of people said that they didn’t understand the current healthcare law, a whopping 71.52% said it should be repealed.

Uhhhhh... can someone explain that one. I know that there might be a few who vote on one and not the other, but to have it skewed so much???? It’s a sad commentary on sheeple.

More on Tax Cuts (or not for some) OR Just Gifts for Rich

So my last posting had to do with the proposed tax cuts (or not). Personally, I think calling them tax hikes provides the wrong message.

I want to refer to the current plan as tax stasis -- stopping the bleeding of the money from the middle class to the upper class as I outlined in my previous post. We all know that the current economic distress is not affecting everyone equally. The rich got richer and everyone else got poorer.

I’ve heard the following arguments about the current tax proposals:

1. Let the tax cuts stay for everyone
2. Let the tax cuts expire for everyone
3. Let the tax cuts expire only for the rich

I find myself voting for item number 3, and I’ll let you know why AFTER I share why I don’t agree with the first two options.

1. The first option doesn’t make sense to me because the Bush tax cuts have cost $2.1 trillion and with the taxes on that, it actually comes to $2.5 trillion. That tax cut along with the cost of two wars has led us to move from a surplus of $236 billion to where we were at the end of 2009, which is the debt incurred by the passage of the TARP fund.

This just doesn’t make sense for me either because we have to somehow get out of debt, right? So, how are we to get out of debt (as a nation) if there is not an increase in revenue?

I realize that spending cuts are an answer, but not one person in government is actually going to do that. No one wants to cut military spending, which by the way is a very, very big expense. No one dares touch Social Security or Medicare, even those who are against “socialized medicine” (yes Tea Partiers and many Republicans, I’m talking to you). They are just platitudes -- efforts to get re-elected. I’m not saying that Democrats are innocent either. They are wanting to get re-elected as well. (As an aside, I don’t see how Rangel can even contemplate running for re-election -- jerk.)

2. Simply put, it’s a combination of 1 and 3, so read on (please?).

3. Okay, I have many reasons for this one, so many in fact that I had to make a checklist.

        ❑        First of all, they don’t create as many jobs with their surplus money as many would like to argue. In fact, they are more likely to hang on to their money -- to invest it in the markets. If you don’t believe me, then think about what caused the current crisis. It was (partly) a result of people speculating with money to make more money; they didn’t create more jobs with that money. In fact, we can look at what happened during the crisis to see that they (the 2% of the rich, I mean here) did. The government gave them money to help the economy recover. And what did they do? They fired people and subsequently made more money! WTF?!?

                They got richer!

        ❑        Okay, okay.... so here’s another ditty. Some argue that the rich will use that extra tax break to create more jobs. (Did I just list that above? Oh, I must be trying to make a point here.) Even though I’ve partly shown that they don’t do that, here is something to get you thinking: did you know that someone who makes $500,000 -- and when I say that they make this, I am talking about taxable income, not gross income -- will pay about $10,000 more in taxes if the cuts expire? How many people does that employ fulltime? None? Oh, okay. Just checkin’. If you want to plug in your numbers, go here: http://www.mytaxburden.org/. You can check my math as well. If you take into consideration tax write-offs, etc. you can see that someone who clears $500,000 is making some change there. And this bears repeating: they don’t save enough in taxes to create but one part-time job.
        
                So to tell me that they will create new jobs is absolute bunk.

        ❑        I’ve heard some say, “Well, it’s not fair to punish them. Shouldn’t they be able to keep their money to make more?”

                What kind of logic is that? Let me recap for just a bit before I continue: they got rich off of us! It’s that simple.

        ❑        There’s more. Here is part of how they got rich: they took their cash overseas! Got that? In an economy where they have “Bush tax cuts” they are taking their money out of the U.S. They aren’t reinvesting that money in our economy, they aren’t creating jobs with it, and they aren’t paying more in taxes.

        ❑        So let’s continue with why I vote for number 3. We find out that about anywhere from 21% to 30% of people who make around $100,000 / year are living paycheck to paycheck (depending upon which source you consult). The proposal currently being floated is to let the current rates expire for those who make (those who clear) $250,000, and that is 2% of the population. That is the population that most likely benefitted from the crisis, that is the population that least needs the tax break, that is the population that is sending our money overseas. Those who make less than $250,000 could use that extra money, just to make it to the next paycheck.


Any questions about why I think we should let the Bush tax gift for the rich expire and keep it for everyone else?

I didn’t think so.

Comments welcome below.
                
        

Tax Breaks for the Rich = Trickle Down Economics = Doesn't work

This is going to short(er) and sweet -- perhaps bitter to some?

I understand that everyone wants a tax break. What I don’t understand is why people are defending raising taxes on the rich and leaving the other 98% of us with a tax break.







Let me provide two reminders:

1. Remember how the government helped out some very troubled companies? Yes. Okay, do you remember what they did with that money? Let me think.... oh yeah, they fired people and gave their CEOs bonuses.
2. Remember how we used to have a budget surplus at the beginning of Bush’s term? Yes. Okay, do you remember how we had a huge deficit at the beginning of Obama’s? Let me think.... oh yeah, we had higher taxes then.

I realize that many people are mad at Democrats for not fixing the economy, but what I can’t wrap my mind around is the blame that Republicans are shirking, as though we should let them run the country’s economy, one that went from a surplus to a deficit.

What Republicans are promoting now is that we should keep taxes low for everyone. Why everyone?

I don’t get that one.

When the rich have gotten money from the government, they haven’t created more jobs, so what kind of argument is it that we should give them more money (continued tax breaks)?

The truth is that many wealthy people pay less in taxes than what they say they do. They have more loop-holes. Don’t believe me? Well, it’s your job to prove me wrong.

I know... I’ve seen those charts and heard those arguments that show they pay more in total taxes, but have you seen the ones that show they continued to get richer during the current crisis while everyday people did not?

Start here: http://www.businessinsider.com/not-everyone-is-hurting--the-rich-get-richer-as-the-income-inequality-gap-explodes-2010-3

If after reading this, you still think the rich need to have a continued tax break, then I don’t think you’ve really done your homework. Remember, I’m talking about the rich here, not most of the people reading this.

Bathroom Renovation - Day 1 million (not really, but it feels like it)

So here’s the gig:
Heidi and I are doing a partial update to our bathroom because of a leaky shower door.

About 3 months ago, Heidi noticed some black mildew/mold growing on the baseboards near the shower door after she had touched up the baseboards with some white paint. Apparently, the water was “wicking” up the wall, just outside the shower.

After saving up money over the summer, we decided to get some quotes on what it would cost. The number we are working with is about $3,600 - $3,800. This will involve demolition of the existing shower (kit), the floors (linoleum), and the tub surround (ceramic tile) and installing porcalain floor, shower, and tub surround and new shower door.

We have been back and forth to Lowe’s about 5 times trying to figure out what tile to get. I’m trying to find something reasonably priced and Heidi wants what she wants. I don’t blame her at all; I’m just thinking that someone who would buy our house (if we ever sell) will have a difficult time telling the difference between $1.50 tile and $4.25 tile.

So, that’s where we are... in holding pattern for now until we determine what we want. And in the meanwhile, I guess we’ll all continue to live out of the guest bathroom.

I’ll update when we start moving somewhere with this, but as you can tell from the picture below, Heidi’s wishing it was already completed.

Blueberry Picking - 2010 (and some dinner!)

Yesterday evening, we went blueberry picking at the Yules’ small farm, which is located in Alvaton, Kentucky. We went last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, actually going back a second time with some friends.

This year, it was just the five of us, and this year, we were invited to stay for dinner.

We had planned on going last week, but Heidi and the kids had some awful crud/bug. Unfortunately but understandably, many of our friends who were planning to join us had to cancel because -- well -- they just didn’t want to get sick. Can you blame them?

So we rescheduled with the Yules and we’re glad we did.

We went out to their place around 5:30 pm and picked for about an hour, harvesting roughly 7.5 lbs of berries, which amounted to just over $21.00. In case you can’t imagine how much that is, think about those little, cube-shaped containers at the grocery store; they are a pint. A pint of blueberries weighs just under a pound (about 3/4 of a lb). So, if my math is correct, we picked about 10 pints of berries, a decent haul for 2 adults (and 3 kids under 5).

I realize that it’s blueberry season and that we could probably have gotten them from the store at about the same price, but I don’t think I can quantify the memories or the experience. Actually, I’m positive that I can’t.

The kids had a fabulous time and Lyliana was the best picker of all of them (although Calixto was the cutest as he would lose his balance and roll down the hill crashing into the bushes!!!). Even after Anastacia, Heidi, and Calixto had stopped picking, Lyliana would not. She stayed out there with me to pick an additional 2 lbs of berries. She was sweet, telling me that she wanted to stay and pick with daddy.

With the blueberry picking over, we all went inside their home -- a 2-story Victorian-ish complete with a nicely finished basement, a home which Channon built himself and for which he has many, many wonderful stories about. Making a trip out there is worth just hearing their life stories.

They fed us some wonderful corn, steamed veggies, and steak ---- yummy! The kids had hot dogs (but I think they would have preferred steak and they were very gracious about it --- so proud of their manners). Dinner started off on the wrong foot as Lyliana began to have meltdown, about which I don’t recall, but after putting a bit of food in her belly, she calmed down. Anastacia was a polite princess, and the prince was a pain in the .... well, he didn’t let Heidi relax.

After getting the sippy cup that he was coveting, he was content. And well, this was also after Pearl brought out some toys to occupy him.

Dessert? You betcha! ; ) Blueberry cheesecake, of course. I had more than anyone else because I had given Lyliana my plate which had ice cream which I don’t terribly like with my desserts. I had more cake because I HAD TO finish what Lyliana couldn’t. Guilty? Not a bit. Do you know how guilty I would have felt if that dessert had gone to waste?

By this time, we were all full of food but not yet full of conversation. The Yules gave us a quick tour of their home, including their first home -- the basement, which was finished, complete with kitchenette, bathroom, and three bedrooms -- pretty cool, I think. After giving us some history of their first years on their 17 acres, we went upstairs into the living room.





Channon brought out some duck calls that he had carved. The kids stared in amazement as Channon showed them how to use them. Apparently, Channon gets his craftsmanship honestly; his father James Yule is a world-renown duck and turkey call carver. Some of his calls have fetched over $3,000! From what I recall of our conversation, Channon plans on following in his father’s footsteps, which I have feeling he will have success in doing.

• http://www.thepineywoods.com/JEYule.htm
• http://www.electricscotland.com/history/world/bios/yule_james.htm

As much as we would have liked to have continued our visit, a different call was being made. These calls were being signaled by a 1 year-old boy. It was past his bedtime.

We left their farm around 9:30-ish, traveling up their long, winding, gravel driveway catching glimpses of fireworks being fired around the area.

Our night wrapped up quite late as Anastacia and I lit a few fireworks at home: some sparklers, growing snakes, and a few colorful fountains.

All in all, we had a fun pre-4th of July night. We hope to go out again before the summer is over. To catch some more photos of our visit, you can view them here: Blueberry Picking 2010.

Avgolemono -- Lunch!

Yesterday, Heidi made an ice-cream cake [recipe only] that called for a good amount of egg whites -- a cup.

And so naturally, she had a good number of egg yolks left over -- 7 of them.

Today, when I got home from teaching my summer literature course, I thought I would browse the internet and find some recipes that called for egg yolks as an ingredient. I had made eggs benedict before, but we didn’t have any other ingredients necessary for that except for the egg yolks. I could have made some ice cream, but that wouldn’t have used all the eggs, and besides, that would mean we would have to wait for the core of the ice cream maker to freeze.

What to do? Google!

And so I did, and I came across a site that provided numerous recipes, both savory and sweet, that called for egg yolks. The very last recipe called for 8 egg yolks, and it was for something I had never heard of, something called Avgolemono. Apparently, this greek soup is quite simple: egg yolks, lemon juice, broth, and rice.

Here is the basic recipe I followed taken from epicurious.com:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Avgolemono-15607

Ingredients:

4 cups basic chicken stock [for a vegetarian soup, use Garlic Broth ]
6 tablespoons (90 g) Carolina or other long-grain white rice
8 egg yolks
1/4 cup (65 ml) fresh lemon juice
coarse salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
When the rice is tender, slowly ladle half of the hot broth into the yolks to temper them, whisking constantly. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the broth and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, just long enough to thicken the soup. Do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


This was so easy to make. The most difficult part was tempering the eggs, but even that was not that difficult.

I did make some modifications.

        ✓        I used some leftover quinoa from the day before (Inca Red variety) and used it in place of the rice. And so, when I “finished” the dish, I poured the broth over the quinoa in bowl and let the broth heat it up.
        ✓        I didn’t add salt because I was using chicken broth that already had plenty of salt. Plus, the quinoa from the day before had been cooked in the same broth and would add that flavor/salt as well.
        ✓        I only had 7 egg yolks, and the soup didn’t come out as thick as I thought. I have read, however, that the thickness varies from recipe to recipe. I may have wanted it a bit thicker; maybe next time I’ll add some corn starch or beat the egg whites separately to thicken it.
        ✓        I added other fresh herbs from our garden beyond the dill called for in the recipe: purple basil, sweet basil, and oregano, all of which were added in the cooking process and later garnished the bowl.
        ✓        In addition to the herbs, I added some fresh snow peas and a few pieces of fresh pole beans (again, from our garden!) and about 1/4 of cup of diced yellow bell pepper and leftover grilled chicken.
        

The girls didn’t like it, but Heidi and I thought it was quite tasty. It did have a tang to it because of the lemon, but the fresh herbs helped to balance that out: the oregano added a slight spiciness and the basil and dill helped pull back on the tanginess. From what I gleaned online, this base stock has many uses.

Oh, and I can’t forget this picture of the final product!

How do they do it?

This is going to be quick and to the point.

How the heck do single parents juggle everything?

I’ve been watching our three kids (all under age 5) while Heidi is out of town. It’s not that it’s hard to watch/care for them. What is difficult is keeping up with everything: laundry, dishes, meals, and work!

I have total respect for single parents.......total.

Stepping Stones and little helpers

This morning after the kids and I ate a filling breakfast (eggs, biscuits, and gravy) and while Calixto was taking his nap, the girls and I spent a few hours piddling around outside.

The first thing we did was make stepping stones, which I bought for them for Christmas and had been promising to make every month since then. It was a messy enterprise and definitely takes a great deal of patience (on the part of the kids). I don’t have any finished pictures to post here because, well, the stepping stones are drying (undisturbed!).

We then went around back and planted a purple basil plant that we bought at SKY market, and upset a large ant hill -- ooops! -- the kids went scurrying.

Shortly thereafter, I decided to complete a deal that Heidi and I made about a month ago. The deal was that I would be able to get rid of the Henry’s Garnet, which in opinion is nothing short of showy weed, if I gave her $200.00 of spending money. The plant is invasive, so if you don’t mean to keep it everywhere, don’t plant it! I dug up more shoots from the front area and dragged the potted plants from the back to the front for the time being (I had to move them to dig out the shoots growing in the back!).

And now we are waiting on lunch: green beans and carrots that Anastacia helped arrange in the pan. I think she did a good job.

Next? Lunch and then some grading.

A Saturday without Heidi

With Heidi out of town (in Cincinnati grading AP Music), I took the girls to SKY Market where we were torched by the heat and humidity. Luckily we were able to buy a few things that I wanted -- some asparagus, some green beans, and a purple basil plant -- and unluckily (?) the girls were able to find a couple of things as well -- a bunch of carrots (they looked neat to them) and a $2.00 tube of lip balm that tasted like chocolate.










We met up with the Hondorps there and proceeded to the first (I think) 2nd Saturday Downtown Fair. With this being the first, there wasn’t much to do -- there was an inflatable jumpy-thing, a bean bag toss, and a “He-Man/Child-whack-the-lever-with-a-large-mallet-and ring-the-bell thing” -- all provided by Party One Superstore. We spent the majority of the time there trying to stay cool under a large tree.



Eventually we made our way across the road and quickly and sweatily strolled down the sidewalk. And I said, there wasn’t much to it this time; I would guess a total of seven vendors where there and most of them were the businesses’ own “sidewalk sales.” The hit of the stroll, though, was a lemonade and cookie stand. We all gulped down $1.00 per glass orange-lemonade and munched on $1.00 coconut cookies. Were they worth it? Nah... at least not the cookies. The heat, being almost unbearable downtown, might have cooked my brain to pay that for the cookies. I think the drinks were good to refresh us a for a bit as we sat on a park bench and listened to the fountain splish-splash and entertain the kids.



Now, we are home. Calixto is napping and the girls are finishing up grilled cheese sandwiches.

I ate leftovers.

Later, after Calixto wakes up and the sun begins to set a bit, I will let the kids run around outside in the sprinklers. I may join them.

For the time being, I’m going to have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade and serve up some ice cream for the girls.

Too tired

I am so exhausted today. I've been out working in the hot sun. 'nuff said.

My Trip to Texas - Day 5

As usual, it’s late here, almost 11:00 pm. Here is the recap of the day. I’m not going to apologize for my lack of “voice” in these entries. It’s always late, I’m always tired, and there’s always too much to cover for me be more than basic in my descriptions of the day. Be patient with me for this lack of “entertainment”; it’s difficult to cover an entire day in 5000 words in 30 minutes. +++++++++++++++++++++ After the morning routine with Dad (cleaning, changing, eating) the nurses arrived at 10:30 to give Dad a bath, which of course he hated. I had good intentions of being productive today, which I was I guess, but not in the way I had planned. I had planned to load plenty of bricks and dump them off in the ditch, but somehow while preparing to do that, I got sidetracked and started thinking about the cemetery and how it needed some proper irrigation. After talking to Mary Ann about this and looking around the house (and barn) for some leftover drip irrigation parts, we decided that we would need to buy more 1/2 inch irrigation hose and some emitters. But before any purchases were made, I drove out to the cemetery -- about 2 miles away -- and took measurements of the length of each fence line and counted the number of emitters I would need (counted the number of trees already planted). I calculated that I would need 650 feet of irrigation hose and 30 emitters, so I went home and called the local soil conservation agency. They had some supplies. By this time it was 12:00 noon, and I had some time before lunch would be ready at 12:30. While my sister prepared lunch, I loaded some broken bricks into the bucket of the front-end loader, thinking that I would dump them later in the day. +++++++++++++++++++++ Just before lunch Mary Ann asked me to run a few errands for her (since I was going into town to buy irrigation supplies) : drop off some canna lilies at my aunts’ homes and purchase some coffee. And so after lunch, I went out to the area of the lawn where the canna lilies were growing, which happened to be where the gray water exits the house, and dug up about 30 cannas/bulbs. Remember how I mentioned that this was where the gray water exited? Well, in the process of removing the cannas and placing them in trashbags, I slopped some of the “dirt/water” on my show --- gross. I ended up removing my shoes, which my sister had to wash for me. I ended up wearing old flip flops that were around the house as I ran my errands in town. +++++++++++++++++++++ I drove into town, but I could only go about 45 miles an hour as the leaves of the cannas began to whip around too violently in the bed of the pickup truck. I first stopped at my Tîa Golla’s house and left the largest of the three bags with her. I had a quick visit, perhaps about 10 minutes, and drove to my other Tia’s house. I left two bags with her. She was in the back enjoying the shade with her son and a grandson and they invited me to share a popsicle. I stayed on the back porch for about 15 minutes as I enjoyed my icy treat. After my pitstop there, I went to the SCS office to buy irrigation hose. This too longer than I imagined it would take -- about 45 minutes as the supplies had to be located and billed. I only had cash with me and they didn’t accept credit cards... oh, and I had to have perfect change, which necessitated my jaunt to Sonic for Route 44 cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper (I HAD to get change!!!). I then drove back to the SCS office, finished my purchase, and drove to Dollar General to buy coffee for my sister. From there, I drove home but had to stop at my brother David’s house to pick up some work boots (remember that mine smelled like sewer). I finally arrived at the house around 4:00 pm! +++++++++++++++++++++ The ACS office only had one roll of 100 feet of hose, so that was not going to be enough to cover the entire cemetery. I proceeded to phone local businesses: farm supply companies, Wal-Mart, the local hardware store, and a few nurseries. I finally located a place in Snyder, Texas, that sold and had enough hose. Unfortunately (I think), my sister Pat arrived at that time (with Madeline and Felicia), and I began to visit with her/them. Having lost track of time, I lost my window of time to drive to Snyder to pick up the hose, but at least I knew where to get it. +++++++++++++++++++++ I was partially in charge of dinner, which consisted of T-bone steaks on the grill. My sister Pat made baked potatoes and my niece Felicia made a salad. Just before diner, my brother Sammy arrived and joined us. As we were finishing dinner, a passing storm caused the electricity to go out. We finished our meals in the semi-dark and Pat et. al. went home. Sammy stayed, and we visited by oil lamp light -- it was neat to sit around the table and watch the light flicker and bounce off the walls and each others’ faces as we laughed and reminisced about our college experiences. The electricity came back on around 10:40 or so, and David, Sammy, and I change Dad one last time before bedtime. +++++++++++++++++++++ Breakfast: oatmeal and coffee Lunch: chicken and gravy, refried beans, and fresh tortillas Dinner: T-bone steak, baked potatoes, baked beans, salad, and sweat tea

My Trip to Texas - Day 5

As usual, it’s late here, almost 11:00 pm. Here is the recap of the day. I’m not going to apologize for my lack of “voice” in these entries. It’s always late, I’m always tired, and there’s always too much to cover for me be more than basic in my descriptions of the day. Be patient with me for this lack of “entertainment”; it’s difficult to cover an entire day in 5000 words in 30 minutes. +++++++++++++++++++++ After the morning routine with Dad (cleaning, changing, eating) the nurses arrived at 10:30 to give Dad a bath, which of course he hated. I had good intentions of being productive today, which I was I guess, but not in the way I had planned. I had planned to load plenty of bricks and dump them off in the ditch, but somehow while preparing to do that, I got sidetracked and started thinking about the cemetery and how it needed some proper irrigation. After talking to Mary Ann about this and looking around the house (and barn) for some leftover drip irrigation parts, we decided that we would need to buy more 1/2 inch irrigation hose and some emitters. But before any purchases were made, I drove out to the cemetery -- about 2 miles away -- and took measurements of the length of each fence line and counted the number of emitters I would need (counted the number of trees already planted). I calculated that I would need 650 feet of irrigation hose and 30 emitters, so I went home and called the local soil conservation agency. They had some supplies. By this time it was 12:00 noon, and I had some time before lunch would be ready at 12:30. While my sister prepared lunch, I loaded some broken bricks into the bucket of the front-end loader, thinking that I would dump them later in the day. +++++++++++++++++++++ Just before lunch Mary Ann asked me to run a few errands for her (since I was going into town to buy irrigation supplies) : drop off some canna lilies at my aunts’ homes and purchase some coffee. And so after lunch, I went out to the area of the lawn where the canna lilies were growing, which happened to be where the gray water exits the house, and dug up about 30 cannas/bulbs. Remember how I mentioned that this was where the gray water exited? Well, in the process of removing the cannas and placing them in trashbags, I slopped some of the “dirt/water” on my shoes --- gross. I ended up removing my shoes, which my sister had to wash for me. I ended up wearing old flip flops that were around the house as I ran my errands in town. +++++++++++++++++++++ I drove into town, but I could only go about 45 miles an hour as the leaves of the cannas began to whip around too violently in the bed of the pickup truck. I first stopped at my Tîa Golla’s house and left the largest of the three bags with her. I had a quick visit, perhaps about 10 minutes, and drove to my other Tia’s house. I left two bags with her. She was in the back enjoying the shade with her son and a grandson and they invited me to share a popsicle. I stayed on the back porch for about 15 minutes as I enjoyed my icy treat. After my pitstop there, I went to the SCS office to buy irrigation hose. This took longer than I imagined it would  -- about 45 minutes as the supplies had to be located and billed. I only had cash with me and they didn’t accept credit cards... oh, and I had to have perfect change, which necessitated my jaunt to Sonic for Route 44 cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper (I HAD to get change!!!). I then drove back to the SCS office, finished my purchase, and drove to Dollar General to buy coffee for my sister. From there, I drove home but had to stop at my brother David’s house to pick up some work boots (remember that mine smelled like sewer). I finally arrived at the house around 4:00 pm! +++++++++++++++++++++ The ACS office only had one roll of 100 feet of hose, so that was not going to be enough to cover the entire cemetery. I proceeded to phone local businesses: farm supply companies, Wal-Mart, the local hardware store, and a few nurseries. I finally located a place in Snyder, Texas, that sold and had enough hose. Unfortunately (I think), my sister Pat arrived at that time (with Madeline and Felicia), and I began to visit with her/them. Having lost track of time, I lost my window of time to drive to Snyder to pick up the hose, but at least I knew where to get it. +++++++++++++++++++++ I was partially in charge of dinner, which consisted of T-bone steaks on the grill. My sister Pat made baked potatoes and my niece Felicia made a salad. Just before diner, my brother Sammy arrived and joined us. As we were finishing dinner, a passing storm caused the electricity to go out. We finished our meals in the semi-dark and Pat and Felicia went home. Sammy stayed, and we visited by oil lamp light -- it was neat to sit around the table and watch the light flicker and bounce off the walls and each others’ faces as we laughed and reminisced about our college experiences. The electricity came back on around 10:40 or so, and David, Sammy, and I changed Dad one last time before bedtime. +++++++++++++++++++++ Breakfast: oatmeal and coffee Lunch: chicken and gravy, refried beans, and fresh tortillas Dinner: T-bone steak, baked potatoes, baked beans, salad, and sweat tea

My Trip to Texas - Day 4

It’s bedtime here now and it was a seemingly quiet day around here. +++++++++++++ I got up around 8:30 am this morning and folded some laundry. Mary Ann woke up soon after I had finished and we changed Dad. This was an exceptionally difficult change as we had to change all the sheets. We attempted to do this with him in bed, but we then decided that it would be easier to move him to a chair. In the process of changing him, I didn’t maintain my attention on Dad and he swiped at Mary Ann’s face and gave her a good scratch. Even though Dad is not all there, he felt bad about hurting her, saying “pobrecita” and crying for a bit. ++++++++++++++ I spent the rest of the morning up until 12:45 picking up the rest of the tree limbs that I had cut the day before. In the process of carrying a rather cumbersome and exceptionally scratchy limb, I got some battle “wounds.” This particular limb, which I was carrying on my right shoulder, began to fall and instead of letting it fall, I tried to keep it balanced. In the process, I not only dropped the limb off my shoulder, but it took some flesh from my neck. It didn’t look too bad, but the salty sweat running into it provided a nice burn for a few minutes. ++++++++++++++ During and just after lunch, Mary Ann and I had an emotional visit. We revisited our last days and hours with my brother Jimmy -- laughing and crying, but mostly crying. We were both feeling melancholic, but it was a healthy 1 hour visit. ++++++++++++++ After our long “lonche,” Mary Ann and I changed Dad. And after changing Dad, I retrieved the tractor with the front-end loader and brought it around the side of the house. Tomorrow, I am going to move a pile of broken bricks that had been dumped under some trees and to create some “burms” in a water way that cuts through one of the cotton fields. When it rains, it makes the small ditch deeper and steeper, so I’m going to drop them in to flatten out the water’s pathway. ++++++++++++++ Moving the tractor only took about 5 minutes. Mary Ann mowed the lawn and I went around taking cuttings from some of the roses around the house to take to the cemetery. I then took one of David’s work trucks to the cemetery to leave the flowers there. It was hot and windy, which is the norm around here. I didn’t get to visit much at Jimmy’s and Mom’s gravesides as I spent the majority of the time watering a few newly planted trees (Mike planted them last week) and some of the other ones that I could reach. I had to return home so that Mary Ann could go to a church council meeting at 6:00. ++++++++++++++ By the time I got home at 5:00, Mary Ann was making squash with corn. I was put in charge of making refried beans, which I did. Mary Ann left around 5:45 and I was home alone with Dad for about 40 minutes, during which time I sat and visited with him as we watched “El Capo,” which is a pretty intense/dramatic show (on one of the Spanish channels). David arrived around 6:30 and we change Dad again. He was cooperative; perhaps he was feeling bad about hurting Mary Ann earlier. We made short work, and David hurried off for a school board meeting; apparently, they were hiring a new superintendent. I stayed home alone with Dad for another 45 minutes and Pat and her family (Madeline, Felicia, and Brandon) arrived for a quick visit. I fed Dad during this time and visited with Pat briefly. They left at 7:30 for Alco’s; their new kitten needed some flea medication and the store closed at 8:00. I went inside and washed dishes. ++++++++++++++ I ended my evening with Mary Ann falling asleep in the bed in Dad’s room while Charlie and I watched the Phoenix Suns defeat the Los Angeles Lakers. By the end of the game, it was 10:35 and it was time for Dad to have his last change of the day. Charlie and I changed him, and just as were finishing, Mary Ann woke up and went to bed. ++++++++++++++ So, now it’s just before midnight and Dad is dozing off. So am I. ++++++++++++++ Breakfast: Oatmeal Lunch: Baked Potatoes, chips Dinner: Refried beans and squash w/corn & cheese

My Trip to Texas - Day 3

Before I begin, I noticed that the formatting (line spacing mostly) is not showing up properly after I export to my iPhone and upload from there. Sorry. ++++++++++++++++++++ I had a better night’s sleep last night. Dad was not as restless, or I was just sleeping more soundly. Either way, I feel more rested today. My sister Mary Ann came into the room that I am sharing with Dad around 8:30 am, and we changed him. Dad was especially feisty this morning. It’s usual that he will try to bite, punch, scratch, curse, yell, or cry when he is changed. On the other days, while he is combative, he is not as strong; today, he was pushing us around and I had to use all my strength to keep him from hurting himself or us while Mary Ann changed him. After being changed, he felt better. The kids called from Kentucky to say hello and we visited for about twenty minutes until Mary Ann, who had made some oatmeal with raisins and prunes for Dad, came into the room. I hung up with the kids and fed Dad, which took about 15 minutes. He took a nap while I ate my serving of oatmeal. The nurses arrived around 10:20 and gave Dad a shower. While they were showering Dad, I worked on a report for my department head (Unit Productivity Report for those who know what it is). After this, I spent the remainder of the day trimming large, low-hanging tree branches around the house. All in all, I think I trimmed 6 trees and cut another 20 foot tree down to its trunk. Mary Ann and I hauled most of the large branches away and made / added to another large pile of branches. The cutting and hauling took about 5 hours of work; it was nice exercise and I can tell that I will be sore in the morning. There were other smaller events throughout the day, but honestly, I’m so physically tired right now that I’m doing all I can to keep from falling asleep in the recliner. Briefly: Dad had 4 changes today; Ricky stopped by around dinnertime to help with Dad; I visited with my kids and wife briefly twice (once this morning and again around 8:30 pm). Breakfast today: oatmeal with sugar and cinnamon Lunch today: mixed salad topped with chicken and walnuts Dinner/Supper: refried beans, rice, tamales, and fresh flour tortillas

My Trip to Texas - Day 2

It’s just before midnight on Sunday, May 23, and it’s been a good two days since I arrived on the farm. Please excuse my brevity as I skim the past day and a half. My brother Mike picked me up at the airport, and on the way home, we stopped at Dairy Queen in Weatherford, Texas, where he treated me to a Hunger Buster meal -- basic hamburger, fries, and a coke. After having this nostalgic meal, we continued our drive home, sharing sunflower seeds and good conversation about life, death, and a bit of politics (but just a bit and it was quite civil). After arriving home around 4:00, we visited with my brother Charlie (another brother). After saying hi to Dad and visiting for about an hour, we left for church in Colorado City, Texas. Mass lasted just over an hour after which we enjoyed a nice meal at Hidalgo’s Mexican restaurant with a perfect stranger. A man who had shown up in town/church stayed afterward and was asking for some money for food; apparently, he was making his way from somewhere in Colorado to San Angelo, Texas. My brother picked up the bill (again) for us; he is so kind-hearted and I never knew how much until this weekend. in addition to sharing this tasty meal (I had chile relleno), I ran into my 4th grade teacher Janet Moore and her husband Stan. She looked wonderful and it was nice to -- while only briefly -- to say hello and snap a picture of them together. My sister Mary Ann, who had spent the previous day in San Angelo for a Relay for Life event, picked me up at the restaurant on her way back to Loraine. After arriving home and unpacking the truck (Mary Ann had made trip to the Home Depot), I went inside and helped her change Dad. It’s hard work and I don’t know how she and my brothers do it each day. I spent the night in the room with him but didn’t get much sleep. He was restless, muttering quite a bit throughout the night, and I was easily awakened by that. I got up at 9:30 or so this morning and my brother Mike, Mary Ann, and I changed Dad again. From what I’ve learned, they change him about 3 to 4 times daily and each time it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to do so. It’s a labor of love, and as difficult as it is -- on so many levels -- I’m glad that I am able to do my small part this week. We ate a late lunch -- tacos, tamales, rice, and beans. My brothers Anastacio, David, and Ricky joined us. After eating, we customarily sat around the table and visited and debated and visited and laughed. Our conversation moved from less serious issues to a discussion about what to do with the estate in the following years. It’s hard to figure out with so many invested parties. We made good progress and I was able to put down some of the language that will be the framework for how we will proceed in the next several years. After this conversation, which lasted about three hours, I took Charlie back to his house in town. I came home and Mary Ann and I walked around the house to see what work she wanted me to do around the house. Tomorrow, I will be cutting down large branches. For the past two hours or so, I sat with Dad and watched the Suns and Lakers play. After that game was over, I helped Mary Ann change Dad before bed, and I’ve been watching Dallas Cowboys highlights while Dad fades into and out of sleep. I’m tired now; my eyes ache. I’m going to bed.

My Trip to Texas

This is my first entry in a series of entries of my time visiting family in Texas. I don’t know how all of this will upload as I have no internet access here on the farm (about five miles north of Loraine, Texas). I have to download a companion iPhone application (MacJournal iPhone App) and sync it to these entries which I am typing on my MacBook Pro. I hope it works. I’m going to download the application now and see if it uploads. Time will pass and you won’t know it, but I started this entry at 2:41. I’ll drop a few lines and let fill you in on how long it took to figure all of this out. .... after downloading the application, it took me about 5 minutes to sync the information on my computer to my iPhone. It took another minute or so to adjust the settings on my iphone and another minute to upload it (slow iPhone connection on the farm).

An Onion Snack

The other day, a friend of mine tweeted that she had eaten some delicious onion rings. I don’t tweet, mind you, but I am on facebook, which is where I read her post. I replied to her post that a favorite snack of mine growing up was eating raw onions, doused with mustard, and wrapped in a tortilla. In fact, this was a favorite after-school snack of many of my siblings. I remember rushing into the house and rummaging through the fridge looking for something to eat.

I’ve posted here a snapshot of what I just had as an appetizer to my breakfast (sautéed onions and scrambled eggs) -- that very same after-school snack. I know it looks gross; I worked very diligently to make it look that way. It won’t change how much I like it.

What kinds of gross snacks did you or do you still enjoy?

MacJournal Software

So I downloaded a bundle of software from Macheist, who perhaps once per year offers 5-7 bits of software at deep discounts and who in turn donate the money to charity. In this software bundle comes MacJournal. I’m trying to figure out if it will work better than going directly to my blogspot on the net and produce entries through that. It seems too cumbersome to log in each time and manage all those buttons.

And so, I successfully created this blog and uploaded it in about 1 minute. No lie.

I think I’ll use this program from now on.

If you are an Apple user, consider the bundle -- the software is pretty darn good (they provide a preview) and your money is donated to good causes.

Bookends - Sabian

Here is a short entry -- perhaps.

As many of you already know, my wonderful mother passed away a little over a week ago.

In addition to the many postings I got on my facebook wall and all the wonderful cards, I also received a nice house plant from the English Department at WKU (where I currently work).

The gift of a plant was very fitting: my mother absolutely loved to garden and she especially loved her houseplants (some from which I took cuttings and repotted in my home two days ago).


The better part of the story is the label on the delivery instructions. As you can see below, my name is spelled with an "S" instead of with an "F."

While you may not find anything special about that, you will once I share another story.

When I was a very young boy (a long, long, long time ago), my mother wanted to get me a very special birthday gift.  I was about six years old, and I wanted a belt with my name on the back.  Dad had one and some of my brothers and sisters had one as well.  And so, Mom decided to go to Woods Boots and buy me a belt.

My mother was told to return a few days later and they would have the belt ready.

Per his instructions, she returned to Woods Boots to pick up and pay for the belt.  She went to the counter and asked to square up.  The problem was that they didn't have a belt with my name on it.  The only belt that they had was one with the name "Sabian" on it.

My mother looked at the belt, saw that it was the one she had picked out for me, but informed the man behind the counter that they had misspelled the name.  He turned it over and said, "No ma'am.  Here is what I wrote.  It's exactly what you said."

He turned the belt over and there was the handwriting:"S-A-B-I-A-N."

My mother told him that that was not what she had said, and the man behind the counter insisted that, yes, that is what she spelled to him and he verified it with her.

Now, my mother knew that she had spelled my name correctly, but she also knew that her English was not perfect.  (She was very self-conscious about this.)

Keep in mind that we didn't have a lot of money growing up, and this was going to be my only birthday gift that year.

My mother paid for the belt and took it home -- begrudgingly and disappointed (and perhaps embarrassed).

As you might have guessed, I never wore the belt (mostly because my siblings made fun of me), but Mom hung onto it, thinking that some day someone would name a child Sabian and she would gift it to him/her.  That time never came around.

About a year ago, I went home for a visit and Mom gave me a few things that belonged to me when I was young: a teddy bear, some shoes and clothes, and this belt.  (The belt now hangs in my closet with my other belts.)

Way back then when my mom bought that belt, she knew that she had spelled my name correctly, but as I said, she was quite aware that her English pronunciation was not perfect (a point I would argue is relative.... I mean, we did grow up in "y'all" country!).  She made right by paying for it.  But, she always thought, in the back of her mind, that it was her fault -- her accent -- that caused the error.

I sit here thinking that I wish I could share this story with her, about how someone else had misheard my name and spelled it incorrectly and in exactly the same way as it was misspelled about 30 years ago.

Of course, there would not have been a second misspelling had she not passed away, but at the very least, I'm comforted to know that it probably wasn't her fault and now I have a beautiful houseplant as proof to remind me of this.